Make Your Family Gathering a Success With a Delicious Banana Cake!

Welcome back!

The week seems to have gone by very quickly.  I hope you had a fruitful one?  This weekend, I want to share a banana recipe with you. Like coconuts, bananas are found growing everywhere in Ghana. Ghanaians love to eat bananas with roasted peanuts as a snack.  In fact, it is one of our most favourite snacks! This recipe is a variation on that theme.  It is  a healthy and delicious cake for the whole family to share.   It is also a good way to make use of left-over bananas or bananas which have gone past their best.  See for yourself how the combination of nutmeg and banana delightfully fills your home! 

To make this moist banana cake, this is what you have to do;

Difficulty and servings:

Easy, serves 6

Preparation and Cooking times:

Preparation time:10  minutes: Cooking  time25-30 minutes

You will need:

18g of mixed Cashew and Peanuts, partially roasted for the topping

6 large overripe Bananas, peeled

120 ml or ½ cup Oil   

60 ml or ¼ cup Orange  juice

1 Egg, beaten

120 ml or ½ cup Milk

113g or 1/2 cup Caster Sugar

A pinch of Salt

2 tbsp freshly grated Nutmeg

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

Method:

1. Partially roast cashews and peanuts in a pan and set aside. Coarsely mash bananas in a large bowl using a fork and set aside as well.
2. In a small bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together - oil, orange juice, beaten egg and milk and pour into the banana mix.
3. In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients together - sugar, salt, grated nutmeg, baking powder and flour and add to the banana mix.
4. Pour mixture into a greased baking tin and top with the partially roasted nuts.
5. Heat oven at 180^o C (350°F) or Gas Mark 4 and bake until golden brown and until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool and serve with a hot cocoa drink or a beverage of  your choice.

Monica’s Tip:

This is an easy recipe to make for family and friends.  Children love it so involve them in making it. Use a thick, steady fork to mash the bananas and you can use fresh bananas which are not overripe as well.  Please note that some children and adults may react to nuts in which case, top the baked cake with any glazed fruit of your choice such as cherries or poached pears or guavas.   Alternatively, you may omit the topping and serve cake bottom side up as in photo above. Vegetarians who do not eat eggs can omit the egg and still make this recipe. Follow the recipe as is without the eggs.

I would like to know how you get on when you make this Banana Cake.  Please drop me a line with your pictures, if possible, through www.africaonyourplate.simplesite.com

Happy entertaining!

 
Monica Serwah Busia